Susanne 1907

Curator: Let's explore Oluf Hartmann's 1907 print, "Susanne." Editor: It's striking, the figures are entwined and seem to be straining against…something. What's going on here? How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see this work through the lens of early 20th-century anxieties surrounding the performativity of gender and female hysteria. It depicts, or perhaps critiques, the male gaze's attempt to control female emotionality. The aquatint and etching medium enhances the sense of rawness and exposed vulnerability. Is it Susanne resisting, or is this how societal expectations confine her? What narratives are left out of art history when considering these archetypes of women? Editor: Hysteria? So, like a power struggle represented physically? I hadn't thought of it that way, I was focused on the visual chaos. Curator: Precisely! Consider the historical context: medical discourse at the time pathologized female emotions, often using diagnoses of hysteria to exert control. Hartmann might be subtly commenting on this. Whose narrative dominates the representation, and who is being silenced, or even carried away against their will? What questions does the image provoke for you about power structures, gender representation, and who controls the narrative? Editor: That's fascinating! It pushes back against just seeing it as an old print, and more like a statement about the female experience at the time, or even a kind of feminist critique maybe? Curator: Absolutely. And it's not a static interpretation but a starting point for questioning and dialogue, isn't it? Editor: I definitely see the piece in a totally different light. It's about visual interpretation, and a broader consideration of historical context too!